Why the fuss about GM salmon? The impact of AquAdvantage on Indigenous Populations

What is genetically modified (GM) salmon?

Genetically modified salmon are salmon that have had their genetic material mixed with genes from a number of different species. The effect of this manipulation is to double their growth rate and to enable these salmon to grow year-round. The GM salmon was first developed and patented byAquaBounty Technologies, an American biotechnology firm based in Maynard, Massachusetts (although their original patent expired on 13 August 2013). These salmon are commercially labelled asAquAdvantage.

Environment Canada approved the commercial production of GM Atlantic salmon in 2013. In November 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved GM salmon for human consumption in the US. In May 2016, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) followed the US decision. Today, GM salmon is the first genetically modified animal food in the world.

Since their approval, GM salmon have attracted considerable public attention and debate. For the general population, the major concern seems to be over the Canadian government’s refusal to label the product so that consumers can tell it apart from non-GM salmon stock. In 2016, the House of Commons rejected a private member’s bill,Bill C-291, which called for genetically-modified food to be labelled. In Canada, food labelling is only required where the food poses a health risk, or if nutritional qualities have been significantly changed. According to thereportsfrom Health Canada and CFIA, “thorough and rigorous scientific reviews” were conducted on the safety of AquAdvantage Salmon. The reviews concluded that AquaAdvantage Salmon was just as “safe and nutritious for humans and livestock as conventional salmon.” Nevertheless, anti-GMO groups continue to call the GM Salmon “frankenfish” despite CFIA’s approval and have launched a “Say No to Frankenfish” campaign.

For Canada’s Indigenous population, there are more pressing concerns than labelling – the impact of GM salmon on wild salmon sustainability.

Currently, AquAdvantage Salmon can only be raised inland-based contained hatchery tanksin two specific facilities in Canada and Panama. AquBounty will be producing the GM salmon eggs in Canadian land-based facilities located in Prince Edward Island, to later ship them to Panama to be raised to maturity in inland tanks. Once processed, the GM salmon will be shipped to the US and Canada for human consumption. While the GM salmon are all female and sterile, Ecology Action Centre believes there are still risks posed to the environment if any of these fish escape into the wild.

Ina report published on this issue, Ecology Action Centre emphasized one frightening risk – that escaped GM salmon might out-compete wild salmon for food, potentially reducing population growth rates. The more worrisome risk is a fundamental change to the already endangered wild Atlantic salmon population. While all production is in land-based facilities only, AquaBounty’s facilities in Panama have alreadybeenaccused of repeated violation of regulations. In the past, the Panama facility operated without the necessary permits concerning the use of water and pollution of the local environment.

As AquAdvantage is the first GM animal food, it can still be considered a sort of pilot project for future GM products. There is thus no guarantee that future violations will not occur or that GM salmon will not escape from confinement. Notwithstanding the sustainability concerns, GM salmon poses a threat to the identity of Indigenous peoples.

GM salmon, an attack on the identity of Indigenous peoples?

Muckleshoot Indian Tribeof the United States defends the view that “…absent indisputable evidence that there is no harm in human consumption, wild fish habitat or the treaty-protected fishing rights of Northwest Indians the FDA must not permit the promised increase of production efficiency to trump sound science or fishing rights and culture of Northwest Indians.” The same is equally true for the Coast Salish people andotherIndigenous groups for whom salmon is both a cultural symbol and a vital food source.

“From time immemorial salmon has been central to the culture, religion and society of Northwest Indian people,” - Virginia Cross, Muckleshoot Tribal Council Chair

For the Coast Salish people of Canada, salmon are symbolic of the Stó:lō’s (People of the River) connection to Mother Earth and reflect a healthy relationship between mind, body and spirit. Salmon preparation plays an especially important role in social gatherings and ceremonies.

Coast Salish laws therefore prohibits depleting salmon stocks. A member of the Stó:lō,Patricia Kellyexplains the law this way: “When that certain bloom on that tree comes out, we know that a certain fish is in the water. That’s our law. And when that bloom is gone, you stop fishing and you allow what’s remaining in the water to continue on to be abundant. Nature makes the laws and we live within the laws respectfully.”

In the United States, for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), salmon is equally symbolic.Virginia Cross, Muckleshoot Tribal Council Chair, asserts that “From time immemorial salmon has been central to the culture, religion and society of Northwest Indian people.” The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and the ATNI have been calling on the FDA to deny the application for GM salmon to be introduced to the US food market pending a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) and further scientific review, in addition to consultation with the Northwest Treaty Tribes.

So far, the only positive step that occurred was in regard to potential stricter regulations. The Minister of Environmental and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna,confirmed that if AquaBounty Technologies plans to expand their AquAdvantage salmon at Rollo Bay, PEI, (a new location, different from their approved site at Bay Fortune) they will be subject to strict requirements. However, the nature of these requirements is yet to be determined.

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Ece Melisa Yilmaz is currently pursuing her JD at the University of Ottawa. She holds an M.A. from Carleton University in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies and a bilingual B.A. from Glendon College, York University in International Studies and Psychology.
Ece has extensive research experience both in academia and the public sector. In 2015, she was awarded the Joseph Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her master’s research. Most recently, she co-authored a publication in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes.
Prior to law school, Ece was a Desk Officer at Global Affairs Canada responsible for foreign relations with Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. She also has international work experience interning in NGOs and law firms, including in Brussels and Istanbul.